Strangers & Budget Cuts

[Delikado/J-Noble]

Let’s start with the good news: I lost.

Not the end of the world, though. As my old man used to say, “The first loss is always the hardest loss.” Then again, he wasn’t talking about professional wrestling when he said that. More along the lines of personal relationships, really. Either way, business moves on. No point in treading on something like this, because there will usually be a second chance to make up for minor screw-ups like mine.

By now, I’ve started to pick up just what’s going on around in the Kingdom of Pride. There’s a nice little clash between the Champion and the contender, Pride management, my poor, poor brother being one of them, is doing its best to satisfy as many people as it can even when words like “screwjob” and “favoritism” are being thrown around like a bag of peanuts gets thrown at a football game, and the opportunity to make a name for yourself is always available.

Ah, it’s just another common day in Tennessee and the Kingdom of Pride.

And my next few days focus on the “God of Thunder”, Chris Strike. He’s one to be viewed as under-appreciated given the fact that the spotlight is primarily on Chris Hart and Christian Kane. Word around the Pride water cooler is he’s looking to conquer the kingdom. Now, I myself am not much for god-king knights in heavy armor conquering kingdoms and castles while fighting proverbial dragons, but I have to admit, he has the minerals and the skills to make headway in his little quest here. It’s definitely key to my own “quest” that I keep my eye on Strike, because you never know when the thunderclap will sneak up on you and scare the hell out of you.

I suppose it’s no secret now what the bad news is: I get to face him in the ring for a little one-on-one.

While I may still be a bit outclassed and a tad winded after the most recent efforts seen in the ring, the name Johnny Noble is only going to get somewhere if I myself get to work.

Strangers & Budget Cuts

KoP Makeshift Gym
6:45 PM

Johnny Noble is sitting in one of the few remaining seats on a public transport bus as the scene opens. After a hard workout, the extra effort spurred on by his recent defeat and desire to keep it from becoming a normal occurrence, the young Noble is rather tired and ready to head back to The Monopoly to get a good night’s sleep. Right now, he’s taking this free time to stare out the window at the buildings and stores as the bus travels past them at an average pace. After a few moments of no-doubt tourist-like sight-seeing, Johnny turns back to the article he had been reading in a sports magazine on how to build a better body with a particular pharmaceutical drug that came with no particular side-effects. Johnny can’t help but shake his head.

Johnny [mumbling]: Yeah, right…

It was what it was. Obviously someone would buy these products, and many already had to have done so, otherwise there would be no ads or pro-articles. Johnny grimaces. A heavy thud noise causes Johnny’s head to snap up and he looks around along with the other passengers. Simply a pothole, no damage done. Johnny sighs and turns the page of the magazine, finding a few pages ripped out. Just goes to show you; never buy from a gas station that has barbed wire lying near the icebox. Johnny folds up the magazine and sets it next to his leg as the bus slowly makes its next stop. A few people get off and only three get on to take their place. One of them looks around the bus and then stops, looking right at Johnny. He doesn’t give any indication of surprise or anything, and Johnny ignores him, not recognizing him at all. This new arrival walks down the aisle and sits in the empty seat across from Johnny’s seat. Johnny sniffs and scratches his arm, continuing to look out the window, when this young guy, not but maybe a year or so younger than Johnny, turns and looks toward Noble with a smile.

?: You’re him, right?

Johnny turns and looks toward the questioner with an off-guard expression.

Johnny: Excuse me?

?: Johnny Noble, that new guy in that Kingdom of Pride wrestling promotion. I saw you on TV the other day.

Johnny gives a skeptical and uninterested nod of the head. But rather than take the hint that Johnny isn’t all that interested that someone actually saw him on TV, the man leans across the aisle and talks to Johnny as if they’re buddies sharing information like old times.

?: Ya know…I believe in you.

He gives a fast nod of his head and his eyes widen just enough to make Johnny’s eyebrow lift and cause him to ponder if he should change seats. Suddenly, the man pumps his fist into the air.

?: We believe in Johnny Noble!

Johnny clicks his teeth and grimaces as some people look over in their direction. The fan waves a dismissive hand at the whole lot of them and then turns back toward Noble.

?: But yeah, dude, I’m glad I finally got to met ya. I’m Gordon. Gordon Ames.

He extends his hand to Johnny who, after a little goading nod of the head from Mr. Ames, extends his own and they have thereby been introduced.

Johnny: Hey, how’s it going?

Johnny hopes this is the last piece of the exchange, but it obviously does nothing but provoke Gordon to talk more.

Gordon: You know, you probably know the whole drill and whatnot, but that match you had last week was a damn good one for a beginner. Same with the one before that.

Johnny: Uh, thanks.

Gordon: Nah, man, I’m serious. You’ve got your own thing going, I like it. Should be good to see how that meshes with the God of Thunder this week, you know what I mean, Johnny?

Johnny: I guess so. You must’ve been following the company from the start then.

Gordon: I have. It’s lovely.

Odd use of the word lovely, but Johnny lets it go. Whoever this person is, they seem relatively harmless, if not a bit weird. Even still, the vibe Johnny gets from him…

Gordon: A lot of people give you crap, man, because of where you come from, but my mates and me, we don’t think Pride should be blocking you, trying to hold you down by putting you in matches that will more or less chip away at ya, know what I mean?

Johnny: No.

Gordon: Oh.

Johnny: Yeah, and besides, it’s just part of the job. No sense in bitching over getting work.

Gordon rubs his chin and nods his head slowly.

Gordon: But even still, guys like Chris Strike are just targets, dude. You’d be best getting guys like them out of your way quick-like. Either that or bring them to your cause. You got a cause, Johnny?

Johnny rolls his eyes at the direction this conversation is going. Great, probably some chump who followed Johnny’s career just enough to get enough info to reel him in and then try to sell him something or bring him into some group…or maybe even a cult. Terrific. Johnny waves off the question as he turns his attention elsewhere.

Johnny: Can’t say that I do.

Gordon nods his head slowly.

Gordon: Proper all right.

Johnny sighs to himself, hoping Gordon will, you know, spend his time doing something else, but it’s only wishful thinking.

Gordon: My Pops, he’s always been interested in wrestlers like yourself. He even talked to your brother Kurt about trying to strike up a deal before Pride opened its doors, but it didn’t quite work out.

Johnny: I’m sorry to hear that…

Gordon: Ah, don’t worry about it. He just had to compromise a little.

Johnny doesn’t really know what the hell this guy is talking about, but he refrains from thinking it over too much. Gordon’s phone goes off and he answers it quickly.

Gordon: Hello? …Yeah…Yeah, I’m doing it now, Pops. Okay…okay…Bye.

He hangs up his phone and turns to Johnny with a smile.

Gordon: My Pops.

Johnny: Okay.

The bus makes its next stop, Johnny’s stop, and Noble makes his way up from his seat. He gives Gordon a passing nod of the head as he leaves.

Johnny: Nice talking to you.

Gordon: Ah, yeah, yeah, you too, dude. Peace out.

He gives Johnny a thumbs-up, something Johnny doesn’t expect. Johnny shakes his head slowly as he exits the bus and steps out onto the sidewalk. The doors close behind him and Johnny walks toward The Monopoly, traveling through its parking lot to his particular building. The young Noble is far from aware, as he gets closer and closer to the building, that the bus he was riding on makes an improvised stop at Gordon’s demand and the young Ames has passed by The Monopoly, giving it a nice gaze over before traversing down the sidewalk to his own destination.

Johnny carries on his own way, going up the stairs of the building outside and then down the hallway, going past a gang sign-layered wall and into the building past a glass door with one of the larger panes missing. He continues on his way, sighing and running a hand through his hair, as he practically drags his feet along on the carpet rug. A cockroach crawls across it and Johnny barely avoids squashing the little bastard. He mutters under his breath and keeps walking, making a left turn at the intersection of hallways. From here, his room is just a few doors down…as is Raymond Caravelle. Johnny closes his eyes and exhales slowly, truly, truly not in the mood for a “chewing-out” or verbal abuse fest from Ray. Nonetheless, given the smirk on Ray’s face, Johnny is probably gonna get one.

Ray: John boy!

Ray’s fake excitement only confirms Johnny’s suspicion, but all he does is flash Ray a fake smile to meet him.

Johnny: Ray, if I wanted to talk to you, I would have called you first.

Ray: Oh, I bet you would, wouldn’t you? Get over here!

Ray loses some of his enjoyment in tormenting Johnny and replaces it with a rather angry yell. However, given the fact that nobody else in this run-down hotel really cares about a noise level because they can easily create their own without much of a problem, nobody even pokes their head out the door to see what’s going on in the hallway. Johnny slowly makes his way toward Ray, glaring at him and frowning, not even trying to act like Ray essentially controls his fate here in Pride.

Ray: First of all, I know about that little stunt you pulled last week with the coffee guy. I hope it was worth it…

Ray reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a piece of paper, handing it to Johnny.

Ray: Here’s the bill to get my suit cleaned.

Johnny takes the bill and looks it over. His eyebrows lift in surprise.

Johnny: Whoa, hold the phone, Ray. I may not be a Chinese laundry lady, but I know suits don’t cost this much to get cleaned.

Ray: Give the circumstances, Johnny, you’re lucky it ain’t MORE than that! Now, I paid for it this time, because I needed the suit for a date later on in the week and I couldn’t wait for your lazy mooch ass to come by. But now I’m gonna make you pay for it.

Johnny: You can have all the change in my piggy bank.

Ray: Oh! Funny guy?! Really, you should quit wrestling and get your own stand-up! And here, Uncle Ray will even give you a starting piece of funny material for the crowds: I just took the money that pays for my suit out of your paycheck this week!

Johnny takes a step toward Ray, his jaw dropping and his eyes narrowing at the smug little prick.

Johnny: What?!

Ray doesn’t show a bit of shame, knowing full well the money he takes from Johnny’s paycheck is taking every important cent the young man can use to feed himself and provide necessities here, seeing as he has very few already after having left most of them back home in Canada.

Ray: I told you to remember who I am to you, Johnny. Remember? Remember who I told you I am in this business when it comes to you personally?

Johnny: Hitler.

Ray: God, you dumb ape! I am God to you! “The Lord taketh and the Lord giveth.” That’s me, and don’t you forget it!

Johnny takes a few steps toward Ray, although the cockiness the young intern feels right now seems to be making him confident that Johnny won’t do something stupid and net himself in more trouble. Just to be safe, though, he holds up a finger to desist Noble. Johnny stops where he is, although it’s clearly not because Ray held up a single lousy finger. As far as Johnny’s concerned, he could hold one up right back.

Ray: And speaking on the topic of Gods, I want you to know that I tasked the old “God of Thunder” Chris Strike to personally push you to the damn limit this week. You got sloppy last week, John boy, and I don’t like watching my client get all sloppy and screw around in the ring so he can beaten by some cheap player from Cali! Christ, I almost booked you in a curtain jerk this week, that’s how pissed off you made me with your goofing around! But I didn’t. I didn’t, Johnny, because as worthless of a client as you may be at times, you’re still more useful to me than half the other morons in this dump. As such, I booked you against someone who I can guarantee will show us all, me personally, if you got any, ANY redeeming qualities about you in that ring. Prove to me that you actually deserve to be called a Noble.

Johnny: Don’t you ever question where I come from.

Ray: And you don’t question me in general. But, c’mon…

Ray walks over and pats Johnny on the back with a cheeky grin as Johnny glares at him.

Ray: Johnny, heh, heh, heh, you gotta know where I’m coming from, man. Since you got here, you’ve done, what? You beat some asshole I could beat if I had polio in your first week, then you pulled a fast one on Storm and got…pfft…I guess you can call it a win. After that, it’s the humiliation of last week. Now, I’ll chalk that one up to you not getting your drugs last week, little of the ole…

He makes a “sssss” sound like if someone were juicing up and laughs as Johnny crosses his arms, not amused.

Ray: That. But next week, you better show some damn results, and I mean it, Johnny.

Johnny: My, my, are you actually threatening me? Because I take those very seriously, Raymond.

Ray snickers and reaches his hand up, lightly smacking Johnny on the cheek.

Ray: Heh, you take everything seriously, John. You need to lighten up, relax.

Johnny: With your recent “budget cut” to my paycheck, I find that hard to follow through with.

Ray walks past Johnny, still smiling like the smug little jerk he is.

Ray: Well just remember, Johnny, that while Uncle Ray may seem like he don’t love you at times like this, know it’s just tough love. You prove your worth and live up to your potential next week, maybe things will brighten up for you. Who knows? Maybe you’ll finally get that stick out of your ass!

Ray waves his hand over his shoulder as he leaves, his farewell gesture.

Ray: Arivaderchi, Jonathan.

Ray turns the corner and vanishes from view. Johnny shakes his head as he turns toward his hotel door and starts looking for his key.

Johnny: Pull it out of my ass and slam it right in your face, you little greaseball.

Johnny slides his key into the door and unlocks it. He goes inside and shuts the door. In his hotel, Johnny makes his way right to the couch and grabs the remote. He turns on the TV, finds a channel that isn’t merely static, and sits there on the couch, not really watching the show in front of him. Instead, he just sits there and thinks with a heavy sigh as the scene fades out…

Strangers & Budget Cuts